Capital One Bank Update

If you have been following the weekly articles in this publication, then you are aware of my efforts to get fair treatment of this mostly immigrant community.

Since 2005 when our local bank was Greenpoint then Northfork turned Capital One; it all began with a piece of junk mail which said that the bank would close.

I was very upset and began contacting community leaders, politicians, and anyone else I thought could help stop this decision, because I knew this would devastate this community. We met with various local officials. And after a petition drive, the Northfork bank executive George Vogel agreed to keep the bank open for three days a week. We said that we would take a “wait and see” in order to decide if the three days would be sufficient.

We have determined over the past eight years that the three days were not enough. So we met with the bank executives and had another petition signing. We even reached out to the U.S. Treasury Department Comptroller’s office for help because Capital One is backed by the U.S. government and is required to adhere to the Community Investment Act of 1977.

This is an open letter. And anyone who wishes to contact me may do so at: 718-337-9269 for any further questions or concerns about Capital One bank.